First time installing Pop!_OS 20.04 LTS? Here are some questions you might have.
First time installing Pop!_OS 20.04 LTS? Here are some questions you might have.
ItzWillGuy
04-10-2022, 08:05 PM #1Finally returned after years stuck with Windows-only setups! Initially avoided Vanilla Ubuntu, then tried Manjaro but faced installation headaches. After a successful install, my second screen malfunctioned—eventually gave up and reinstalled drivers. Pop!_OS impressed me right away; no issues with Nvidia drivers or display settings, even showing the main screen at 75Hz instantly. The setup took a few hours—app installation followed by moving my Steam library to an exfat partition for both Windows and Linux compatibility. Now I’m curious about GNOME customizations and mods. I’m used to KDE but haven’t explored Pop!_OS yet. Looking for good tweaks, though; some suggestions seem outdated or don’t work on 3.38. The top bar isn’t my style—I’d like the ability to reposition it and modify its appearance if possible (BottomBar didn’t help, just moved it to the bottom).
GuttRRuSSiaN
04-10-2022, 08:05 PM #2When using GNOME, I typically rely on certain tools and settings. However, I’m not sure what PopOS includes by default. GSConnec - KDE Connect for GNOME is recommended, and you should check the official site for setup details. Make sure to follow the link provided for configuring sound input/output devices, notifications, fullscreen options, and notification counters. Your preferred theme is Layan-GTK with Layan-Cursors and Tela-Circle-Icons.
Thanks! I appreciate GSconnect, the Sound app, and a few others. For the theme, I’m fine with the base theme, cursor, and icons, but I’m open to the ones you linked—I might give them a try! I also found some extensions I like; Dash for panel Application Menu, Clipboard indicator, Screenshot tool, and Gnome Tweak (useful though not an extension). The link works on Ubuntu too.
It's not just an add-on, though I really enjoy the launcher because it feels like Spotlight search or Alfred on Macs. The extensions I like are Gravatar Lock-Keys (I only use this on my laptop since it lacks a num lock indicator), Coverflow Alt-Tab (I’m using version 20.10, but they should work in 20.04), and I’m still checking compatibility.
You checked if you could install NVIDIA drivers and turn on the second display, just like you would on Windows
itzhalloween
04-10-2022, 08:05 PM #5The installer caused a lot of trouble for you.
You checked if you could install NVIDIA drivers and turn on the second display, just like you would on Windows
Mitchelltb27
04-10-2022, 08:05 PM #6The installer struggles with drive partitioning; I resolved it by using a Lubuntu live environment with gparted and adjusting the GPT partition settings. 2. The drivers were set up properly, as I mentioned—I attempted reinstallation but it failed. I don’t want an OS that requires me to troubleshoot just so it functions. At work, I handle diagnostics daily, and if more is needed, I’ll do it there while I’m paid, not on my personal time.
I felt uneasy with Manjaro and doubted its reliability. If the installer can't correctly format the drive, I wouldn’t bother trying. I rely on my Lubuntu live OS every day, so it gave me more confidence. By that point, I was pretty set—I had already noticed the monitor was on and not in sleep mode. I even reset from the OSD and unplugged it for five minutes, but nothing happened. That’s why I switched to Pop!_OS right away, and it was completely smooth. Such issues shouldn’t occur, and likely that’s why people criticize Linux—most would’ve stopped after a single failed install, which is why I kept going four times.